What constitutes an icon?
That's the rhetorical discussion topic at a Mercedes-Benz news conference in Metzingen. And the answer covers everything from fashion model Cindy Crawford's facial mole to the G-Class's distinct door handles and blinkers.
Now 38 years old, the G-Class is defined by its instantly recognizable, boxy, upright military design.
"The G-Class remains an icon, only better. Look at the interior and judge if it's better" – that's the challenge from Gunnar Guethenke, head of the program for Mercedes-Benz. "We have regularly reinvented the G-Class, but at the same time ensured the G-Class stayed true to itself and kept its character, which you can easily see, touch and feel when entering the car," he said.
And that's our task at hand – analyze the interior.
No peeking at the exterior, though – no pictures, no video allowed on this excursion.
That's reserved for the world debut of the all-new 2019 Mercedes-Benz G-Class at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Jan. 14. In small groups of four, we're taken into a tiny, pitch-black room in a warehouse in southwestern Germany. At the centre of the room sits the reinvented G-Class.
The new G-Class has more interior space.
Climbing into the driver's seat, I can't help but wonder, why mess with a winning design? The G-Class is distinct and stands apart from the competition. But nowadays, change is the name of the game. Even icons need a refresh occasionally. Customers wanted it; Mercedes designers delivered it. Although the task – staying true to the brand's roots while making the new version modern, fresh and relevant – must have been a challenge for designers.
The new G-Class is slightly longer and approximately 10 centimetres wider than the previous version, which translates into more interior space. Items have moved around – the gear shift lever, for example, is relocated from the centre console to a stalk on the steering wheel column, which creates space for two cup holders.
Another welcome change – the Distronic cruise control is no longer a stalk on the steering column – it's now accessed on the steering wheel. On the prior version, it was easy to accidentally engage the stalk unintentionally when using the nearby turn signal.
There are several new smart storage compartments as well as plenty of space in the doors to fit one-litre bottles of water. Even the rear doors now have spots for bottles.
The front and back doors have ample storage room.
The interior is the epitome of luxury – perhaps too upscale for its rugged exterior body, but we'll judge that at the Detroit show. Headroom is fit for a king. The front and rear seats are completely redesigned for better support and comfort. The driver's seat fits like a glove, but the rear seats could use a bit more padding on the cushions.
The rear-seat space has grown, adding 15 cm of rear legroom.
For the first time, there are climate-control adjustments in the rear so you can alter the HVAC and stream of airflow.
You can also change the ambient lighting inside the cabin to match your mood. The lighting appears throughout the interior for a cohesive look, running along the centre console, doors and floor. The colour choices are endless – between eight and 64 shades of the rainbow.
A new glass sunroof also adds more light into the cabin – too bad we can't tell from the darkness surrounding us.
To remain iconic, some things, such as Crawford's mole, must stay the same.
Despite changes to the interior, some things – such as the sound of the slamming door – remain distinctly G-Class.
The big grab handle on the front passenger side and the differential lock switches in the middle are intact.
The tailgate still opens to the side, but now has several holding positions so it won't close when you don't want it to.
And of course, the sound of a slamming door remains distinctly G-Class.
From the inside, the G-Class is better. We'll have to wait a few more weeks to see what it looks like on the outside.
The writer was a guest of the auto maker. Content was not subject to approval.
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